Sun and Crescent Moon
by Fractal Dreamer
Summary: Vanitas always heard the term 'two sides of the same coin' from his Master, but what his Master never told him was how staggering it was to be affected by the other; and that it never stopped. A Kingdom Hearts series. [summary has been edited]
1. Rage Awakened

**A.N.**

 **Hey, guys! I've been a real big fan of Kingdom Hearts for years now and just got around to breaking out some stories. I'm confident this is the first of many, so without further adieu, hope you all enjoy the read and share your thoughts, feelings, or comments below.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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Summary:"H—hello?" Sora called out barely above a whisper. The being didn't move and he was pretty sure he didn't want him to. His face was hidden by a black mask and as Sora made his way down to him, he found that he couldn't look away from his own reflection.

"Who are you?" He asked cautiously.

"You're an idiot... just like he is."

Part One of my Sun and Crescent Moon series.

* * *

 _"_ _Sora…"_

Even with his eyes closed, Sora scrunched his face at the bright light surrounding him. He felt weightless and cold, or rather whatever he was laying on was cold. Upon opening his eyes, he found himself on a white marble floor in a stark white room. It was all a bit disorienting, but his hazy vision soon cleared and the light no longer bothered him.

"Huh?" he said blearily as he sat up. "Where am I?" He looked around in question before jumping up onto his feet.

"Why does…" His voice trailed off, "This place feels familiar." The sense of déjà vu was evident, a name forming on the tip of his tongue of which he had no idea of its origins.

"Castle Oblivion…" he whispered to himself. It sparked faint memories, but they didn't feel like his. Nor did the memories feel like they came from Roxas, as that would have been the norm.

Home, that's what this place felt like; these alien memories that were neither his or Roxas' spoke of this world as home.

Sora lifted his hand up to his heart as it started to ache, "What's going on? What is this place?" He looked down at himself, his mind sorting through the memories of which most were foggy. But one stood out: laying on the grass and gazing up into the night sky. That brought on a sense of tranquility. It almost made him sleepy, but with the whole situation being a mystery to him, he could never fall asleep. No, not even him.

He returned his gaze ahead of him, "Roxas?!" he called out but got no response. "Hello?! Is anyone there?! Can anyone hear me?!"

A sudden presence was picked up by his senses and Sora gasped in joy. He still couldn't see anyone, but the new company wasn't far away. Sora jogged over to the door where he felt the presence and used all of his strength to open it. It echoed through the halls a deep rumble as Sora pushed it aside. Still the walls remained white, but no longer was he in a room. A long hall greeted him, continuing endlessly to his left and to his right. He peered down both ways, concentrating on the aura of this new spirit; it appeared to be coming from his left.

"Whoever you are, I'm coming to find you." He said with a kind smile and a confident nod. He ran down the hall with little energy being spent. That weightless feeling still hadn't gone away and he figured it probably wouldn't anytime soon. The memories had faded away, however, but the déjà vu remained. If anything, it wasn't hindering him, so he took that as a blessing.

As he focused on the unknown aura, he could feel it intensifying. And knowing he was getting close, Sora picked up his pace. He was almost on top of them now, but he still saw no one in sight. After dashing past a room, however, he felt the presence slip away and fall behind him.

"Huh?" Sora exclaimed right as he slid to a halt and glanced back. He walked over to the door and studied it; knocking three times before calling out again. And as expected, with no answer he twisted the doorknob and walked in.

A definite change of scenery was what hit Sora first. No longer were the walls white, but now were lined from top to bottom with bookshelves. He walked forward and placed his hands on the banister as he stared down at the room. Resting on the left wall was a single window draped with white diamond curtains, the light from outside blinding him from ever seeing pass it. Beside him on his right were the curved stairs leading down and underneath him sat an empty desk with a bare chess board. But it was the dark figure tied in gold chains in the middle of the room that demanded all his attention.

"H—hello?" Sora called out barely above a whisper. The being didn't move and Sora was pretty sure he didn't want him to. He was covered head to toe in a black, almost organic-like suit with red veins around the chest. His face was hidden by a black mask and as Sora made his way down to him, he found that he couldn't look away from his own reflection. He felt tentative around him, everything about his look reminded Sora of Riku when he was possessed by darkness. And in contrast to the bright, golden chains keeping him in place, it only added to the uneasy air around him.

Still, he felt a strong pull coming from this person. He wanted to walk up and touch the chains, strange enough, but also to run away and never look back. It was as if his conscience was fighting someone else's.

Sora glanced at all of the chains intertwined before him. They never touched the ceiling, walls or floor; just faded out of existence the further they were from the boy. He in question was kept in the middle of it all, chains entangled around his arms, legs, and torso, but he wasn't hog-tied. If possible, he could have very well moved freely within the mess, just couldn't escape it.

"Who are you?" He asked cautiously. Though the boy didn't speak, he did lift up his head. Sora took a mental step back.

"Can you hear me?" He asked again, a little more curious now; he hadn't realized the boy was awake. And again, the shadowy being did not answer. "Are you okay? Can you speak?" Sora felt like he needed to help him. The feeling was overwhelming now, but a small pang from his heart told him otherwise. Again, a mental argument rose and he found himself frozen to the spot staring into this stranger's mask. Surely, he thought, he was staring right back at him. It was… it was almost as if he could hear him whispering for his help.

After what felt like forever, Sora made up his mind and lifted his hand to reach out to the chains. Right before he could touch them, though, the air between them sizzled and the chains rattled in protest. Immediately, Sora regretted his decision and reeled back.

A bright light flashed before his eyes and he was suddenly thrown back onto his butt. The golden chains hissed and lit up as they melted away, slowly releasing their grip on the boy.

 _"_ _You're an idiot…"_

Sora stared at him, dumbfounded before he found the sense to try and summon his keyblade only…

He couldn't!

 _"…_ _just like_ ** _he_** _is."_

The dark figure was dropped onto the checkered floor as the last of the chains faded away. Sora took no time in getting up off his butt and running up the stairs. He slammed the door shut and tested its lock before slowly backing away from it. The presence he had felt earlier, this time clearly reigning with pure darkness, sprang up again only for it to come from right BESIDE HIM!

As he turned to his right, he met the reflection of his own face through the glass of the boy's mask. Sora screamed as he recoiled. He attempted to summon his keyblade again, but as it was before his hands were left empty.

The dark boy lifted up his hand and pointed at Sora's chest. _"That heart belongs to me."_

Sora stared at him in disbelief before a sudden surge of anger welled up inside him. "What are you talking about?! Who _are_ you?!" Even without his keyblade, Sora still got into his battle stance.

 _"_ _Give_ ** _him_** _to me."_

"I'm not giving you anything!" Sora hollered back. He didn't know where this anger was coming from, he didn't even know this person standing before him, but his heart told him he was an enemy. And Sora was going to listen to his heart.

The boy's fists trembled—most likely in anger—before he lifted up his hand again and…

Summoned his keyblade?!

It was obviously of dark origins, attached with two gazing eyes—one at the handle and the other at the end of the blade—and its design featuring that of gears. Sora looked stunned, he tried for his keyblade once more, but still nothing! He peered down at his hand, concentrating as hard as ever to call it; his Kingdom Key.

Just then, the dark boy lunged for him and Sora crossed his arms to shield himself from the hit. Suddenly, a bright light encompassed him and instead of feeling pain, a loud metal-on-metal clank echoed down the hall. Sora was shoved back due to the hit, but relatively okay. Upon opening his eyes, he found himself encased in armor of steel blue and gold.

"Wha—?!" Sora exclaimed in shock, his attention soon drawn back up to his assailant. The darkness rolled off of him in waves and his grip on his keyblade tightened. If Sora didn't know any better, he'd have thought he was glaring at him with deadly intent.

Before any of them could react, the floor began to rumble and a deep crack formed right in front of Sora. It spread out toward the walls before another crack formed and ran toward the dark boy. Said opponent backed up as the crack chased him before finally splitting toward the walls again. The tiles separated and walls shook as the ceiling gave way and collapsed. The whole section of the hall fell into the darkness surrounding the Castle and Sora and the dark boy was separated by 10 meters in length.

From across the abyss, the dark boy watched as Sora regained his bearings and took off in the opposite direction. He jumped back a few steps anxiously, like a cat feverishly watching a mouse escape, and took the first door he came across.

That weightless feeling that Sora was experiencing the whole time was beginning to fade as exhaustion set in. It didn't stop his legs from carrying him full speed down the hall, though, as he made a mad dash to find the exit.

"Donald! Goofy! Riku! Mickey! Where are you?!" He shouted before bursting through a door, and another, and another. The rooms were getting smaller now, and the halls began to twist and turn in all sort of directions. He feared he was getting lost because soon enough he found himself in another room that looked just like the one he first rushed through.

He stopped to catch his breath, leaning on his knees to support his tired body. The armor was foreign to him. He had no idea where it came from. He wanted to summon his _keyblade_ ; he had no idea how the armor got on him. Regardless, it saved him and he couldn't stand to question its appearance any longer; he needed to get out. But how? He didn't even remember how he got _in_ in the first place.

Suddenly, his heart flared up in joy. His hand instinctively reached for his chest just before his senses picked up yet another presence. And this one wasn't of pure darkness; quite the opposite, actually. It called out to him, not with a voice but with words to his heart.

 _I heard your voice._

Sora didn't need to think, he just moved. Following the presence out the door, down the hall, into another room, left, right; the castle was endless! But the pull was strong and clear and soon he found himself in another hallway. At the end, way down at the _far_ end, was a large door unique and utterly different from any others he'd seen in this castle. The pull on his heart was coming from the other side of that door!

He heard footsteps approaching from down the hall and turned quickly to see the dark boy skidding to a halt in the intersection behind him. His mask instantly turned to Sora and the pull on his heart became stronger. Sora staggered forward into a run just as the boy started sprinting at him. The feeling of darkness grew behind him as the boy was catching up.

His heart was being pulled stronger than ever now! The closer he got, the more intense the light seemed. It gave him energy to keep going and a strange sense of longing. He felt this light before! Where did he feel this light before?!

The door was close now, he was so close! The darkness was nearly on top of him, but he was so close!

 _"_ _NO!"_

Sora didn't pay attention to the shouting as the double doors opened on their own. Light poured out, but he could just barely see something behind it.

 _"_ _He's_ ** _mine_** _!"_

A memory flashed before him: pain, tears, a tear… a riven torn right through the heart…

 _"_ ** _SORA!_** _"_

Sora dived into the light and felt nothing more until…

He gasped and jolted up from the grass, his lungs filling with cool air. A scream rang out beside him and he looked to find his friend Donald jumping away from fright.

"Don't scare me like that! I barely shook ya!" Donald complained as he gathered his wits and glared daggers at Sora.

"Huh?"

"Gosh Sora, you sure did take a nice long nap after getting here," Goofy commented. He earned a long stare from Sora as the boy slowly regained his memory.

"Yeah! We just got to the top of Mount Olympus and you decide to take a nap on the cliff side!" Donald continued with his rant. "We got stuff to do, so get up ya lazy palooka!"

"Mount—Oh yeah! Herc's waiting for us!" Sora beamed before jumping up onto his feet. He placed his hands behind his head, "Hehe, sorry. Guess all that climbing made me tired."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just go already! Master Yen Sid said you need to get your strength back." Donald said while folding his arms across his chest.

"That way you can unlock the powers within ya!" Goofy joined happily as both he and Donald began to walk away. But Sora remained, his hand clutched to his heart. He peered down at it in thought, a deep sadness washing over him.

He couldn't remember the dream…

"Sora, are you coming?" Donald called out again.

Sora looked up at Donald and smiled, letting his hand fall from his chest. "Yeah, I'm coming!" He replied, cheerfully running to catch up to them.

And he continued to smile because even though his mind may have forgotten it, he knew his heart didn't.

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 **A.N.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! This is only part 1 of the series Sun and Crescent Moon, the next one of which will be the prequel to this story.**

 **Hope to see you again! Thanks for stopping by!**


	2. Unbreakable Chains

**A.N.**

 **Great to see you guys again!**

 **I just wanted to let you know that this story sort of spans across the whole of Kingdom Hearts' timeline starting right after Ven and Vanitas' end game in BBS to the beginning of DDD. This is, in fact, the prequel to 'Rage Awakened', but it is still stand-alone. You can read that one first, this one first, whichever. It's all up to you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

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Summary: "You're trapped there, Ventus! Sora has made his heart a prison, and you're the prisoner!"

Ventus and Vanitas and their "wonderful" background perspective across the KH timeline.

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 _Falling…_

 _Surrounded by darkness…_

 _That wasn't supposed to happen. The plan was flawless; he never stood a chance!_

 _Why?_

It was anything but dark for Vanitas. Even if his heart felt it otherwise, the light around him blinded his eyes and he couldn't move to shield them. What he originally thought was exhaustion due to he and Ventus' battle turned out to be imprisonment.

As the light around him dimmed, it separated and intertwined into chains before coiling around his body. They continued to move across his skin, eventually branching out into the room and disappearing only an arm's length from his body. His darkness was suppressed because of this, he could definitely feel that; the golden, magical chains kept the darkness at bay and the dim glow of light surrounding it all kept him locked away in place.

"What…? Ventus, what are you doing?" He voiced barely above a whisper. His head was hanging down and it felt too heavy to lift. His whole body felt numb floating within the anti-gravitational bubble of light Ventus put him in. And even with his consciousness slipping, he still knew this wasn't Ventus' heart.

Ventus had taken him elsewhere, still unable to accept him even when they were both dying. Now he was chained in oblivion, existing in a limbo of nothing and all he could sense was his other half getting further and further away.

Sleep was upon him, but he reached out to the idiot anyway; trying to find answers on what happened. If anything, they should have both died. That was unmistakable. Yet here they were, still alive, still existing even if Vanitas' position was questionable. And as expected, Ventus knew little or didn't remember at all.

Their link was strong, stronger than ever before and he didn't know why. They were both tired, both slipping away, yet he never felt so much light before. Was this death? He never expected it like this.

Everything was fading away from him, including himself. Fear gripped his heart and he closed his eyes. The chains rattled and the darkness around him blurred into colors. The walls twisted and turned, morphing into each other before settling into place. Eventually, all he could hear was his own heartbeat and the chains chiming as they snaked across his body.

Vanitas didn't open his eyes because he couldn't. They were too heavy, just like his body. And he didn't fight the sleep that came to him, he just let it take him. The emptiness was too much.

* * *

It felt like years had gone by… but surely it was only minutes. The darkness was vast, overwhelming. He couldn't see anything, but he heard a voice echo through the link.

 _"_ _Hey, can you hear me?!"_

"Huh…?" Vanitas breathed out as his eyes blinked open. He felt a wave of adrenaline surge through his body; the sleep pushed back far enough for him to think straight. But that was all it granted him.

That voice, he heard it before. When he and Ventus first split, he heard that voice. Ventus' heart was so far away now. His light was mixed together with another's. Somebody was saving him again and, undoubtedly, Vanitas knew it was the same heart from before.

He could feel him, Ventus; he could feel his light, bright and warm. It was cold here, it was always cold. He hated him for that. And now he was using that kid as a crutch again. The idiot probably thought he was a friend or something.

Where was he?! Vanitas couldn't feel anything, he only felt tired and weak. It was the worst feeling ever and it irritated his soul! Why was he chained here?! Where was here?!

"Ventus…" He attempted to scream, but it only came out as a weak moan again. That surge of energy was all but gone now and sleep invaded his sense once more.

"I'm not… gonna… disappear…" he murmured in resistance, but Vanitas was losing the fight quickly.

 _"…_ _Light and dark are an unbreakable pair…"_ His Master's voice spoke from his memories. _"You exist as the other face of the same coin. You are only half of a whole."_

"That's why…" Vanitas whispered before sleep took him again.

* * *

Darkness, then light. He felt the familiar chime of a successful keyblade summon, but it was not his. Nor Ventus'.

Vanitas took in a deep breath as he was stirred awake. His body felt lighter now, his mind clearer. His heart had been healing for a long time, but exactly how much, he couldn't guess. Time didn't exist here in this endless limbo.

His surroundings were different now. No longer a dark, empty void, but rather a study of some sort. It all reminded him of the Land of Departure, which didn't make sense because that world was destroyed by his Master. Eraqus had fallen, nobody should have been able to change it…

"Aqua." He announced his suspicions, his voice a lot firmer now. "That delusional Master must have changed the world somehow." Vanitas closed his eyes and focused.

 _She hid Ventus within, but his heart isn't there…_ He concluded in thought. Vanitas was still connected—a curse, it sometimes felt—and because of that, he could feel Ventus' body as if it were his own should he focus hard enough. Using this, he searched the darkness for him. His body was close, but unreachable from here. It was dormant, empty and secured within a chamber. But where was his heart?

It was hard to find him; Vanitas found his light was obscured by another. Two lights of equal strength floating too close to each other. Far away, one could easily mistake them as one. But Vanitas could never mistake the green aura of Ventus' heart for another. It was unique and their hearts—two halves of a whole—drummed the same beat.

The connection between him and the other was incredible. It made jealousy form in the pit of his heart and he frowned at it in disgrace. He of all people did NOT need to be envious of _Ventus_.

But he needed to press on. Ventus was resting within the heart of someone named…

"Sora." The name made him grimace. He could sense the power of the keyblade within the teen and quickly searched through his memory of any other keyblade wielders Ventus could have known.

Nothing. He only knew Terra and Aqua. This was either intriguing or disconcerting because then that would mean he'd have to deal with another stupid light wielder. And where there was one, there was normally more.

He scoffed at the thought: Ventus and his little friends, all grouped together, happy and cheerful; laughing and having fun. Vanitas would rather die.

In furthering his search of the two, he could sense darkness. That sort of thing was second nature to him. It was outside of both Ventus and Sora, but vast and strong. It almost felt like his Master, but it was different.

"Ventus?" He called out in question. Ventus' heart was sleeping still, but something had jostled him out of slumber for a brief period of time. It may have helped Vanitas himself wake up as well. And that something must have been the darkness he felt.

Vanitas looked around again, testing his bonds. The chains weren't tight, they just wrapped around him like a toilet paper mummy. He raised an eyebrow at his situation. Was Ventus truly that stupid or was there something else he was missing?

He lifted his arm up without much of a fight; his legs were free too. If he was quick enough, maybe he could escape this poorly constructed prison and get to Ventus. Logic would dictate there were unknown forces at play here, but Vanitas ignored it for the sake of finding that idiot faster.

He reached out his hand to touch the air outside the floating ball of gold chains and instantly regretted it. Lightning sparked and traveled up his arm before striking his heart. He yelled out in pain and retracted his hand, holding it tightly at his chest. The pain was more excruciating than anything he'd ever felt before. It felt like Ventus' light was burning his darkness.

"What is this?!" He growled in discomfort, clutching his chest as the pain faded away. It left him disoriented and anger boiled up from deep inside him because of it. His hands shook with the will to wrap themselves around Ventus' throat. "Ventus! What have you done?!"

The idiot didn't respond. With him deep in sleep healing, he was oblivious to Vanitas' outbursts. Perhaps even his presence too; Ventus was indeed known for being blind to Vanitas altogether. Of _course_ , he didn't know about the pain, didn't feel the bubbling anger or taste the disappointment. Ventus didn't have monsters spawn from him with every vile emotion he encountered. He never felt the physical pain of their destruction. Not like Vanitas did.

Ventus' heart was of pure light, while Vanitas was their darkness. He lived a life of luxury compared to him. He was spoon fed by Eraqus and his apprentices and encouraged to try again whenever he failed while Vanitas only got a beating for failure. He was left alone in a desert while Ventus had a family! He was imprisoned here in a state of limbo while Ventus was sleeping peacefully inside Sora's heart! And even though Vanitas was stronger than him, the little idiot still managed to beat him in their final clash!

With a roar, Vanitas kicked out his foot hoping the light around him was directly connected to Ventus' heart so that he'd feel the pain. Sparks flew across his field of view in response to the area breach and struck his body again. He didn't waver this time and proceeded to punch the ending space of his prison out of frustration, rage, and envy. He tore and yanked at the chains glued to his skin, gasping from exhaustion and agony as his breaths came in quick and shallow. His heart screamed from the pain, but he never shed a tear.

He needed to hurt Ventus, he needed to make him realize what he's done. And so, in pathetic retaliation, he bundled up his negative energy and focused on feeling for Ventus' heart. If his sleep was disturbed due to the mere presence of darkness, then all of _Vanitas'_ pent-up emotions should give him one rude awakening!

Vanitas acted as a tesla coil and channeled his darkness through the empty void to Ventus' dormant heart. The space between them was non-existent and the channeled energy traveled as fast as a lightning bolt. And when it came into contact with target's heart…

It was destroyed.

As soon as the darkness came into contact with both Sora and Ventus' light, it disintegrated and was blown away like dust in the wind. Vanitas couldn't touch Ventus if he was contained within Sora's heart. Sora was protecting him.

Vanitas was as still as ever, seemingly frozen to the spot. Darkness visibly rolled off of him and clashed with the chains before the entire bubble of light surrounding him sparked with electricity. None of it touched him, though, as his darkness fought with the light—and inevitably lost. Vanitas watched it all impassively. Defeat sunk his heart to its deepest depths, but he took in easy breathes to help keep calm.

Ventus was out of his reach. And it seemed that his light was containing his will to do anything about it. He was completely and utterly at Ventus' mercy.

Oh, how he hated him for it. His teeth clenched, but he said nothing—only thinking at this point. Another option was to drag him down with words, but his heart was sleeping, mending. He had no idea how much longer it was going to take before the idiot would wake—

A cold shiver ran down his spine and his eyes widened. Something was wrong. Something was happening to Sora. He felt it through Ventus as his heart was shaken awake. Vanitas could feel the light on him like the sun coming out from behind the clouds.

For some odd reason, Sora's heart was torn away and it wasn't because of him. Ventus was trapped within the empty shell as it drifted off into the void and Sora's heart was enveloped by darkness, _his_ darkness. Nothing but a shade remained.

Vanitas was thrown through a loop because he had no idea what just happened. Nothing like this occurred when he and Ventus split and the Master never talked about something of this nature.

Even though Ventus was indeed awake now, he was dazed—Vanitas could sense that much. The empty shell around him seemed to now possess a consciousness of its own, but just like him, it too was unresponsive. Eventually, it started to draw emotions from Ventus' heart, mimicking them in adolescent understanding.

The _thing_ was so different, so opposite of himself. Where Vanitas was chock-full of raw emotion, this thing had… nothing. No emotions, no heart, it was completely and utterly _nothing_.

The thing had a name too. It was forming at the tip of Vanitas' tongue and he could barely hear it ringing in his ears like a distant echo passed on from Ventus to him. It sounded like _Sora_ , but it was all jumbled: _Roxas._

"Roxas?" he tried the name out loud. The 'X' was intriguing because that exact letter was an obsession of his old Master. If Vanitas didn't know any better, he'd have thought it a coincidence. But he wasn't stupid, nor ignorant of Master Xehanort's undying plan. If he ended up failing him it would be just like him to start over again with a new approach.

He felt no love for his Master, in fact, he sort of hated him for throwing him away like a popsicle stick. But he expected just as much from someone like Xehanort. If only he had died with the others, that might have made Vanitas a little bit happier.

It didn't fly over his head that this empty shell started forming its own heart now. With Ventus' presence—and some other unknown force Vanitas couldn't pin point—it started to grow. Roxas began to take on a similar aura to Sora's, but it was shaped differently.

As soon as this newborn heart stabilized in its growth, it stopped siphoning emotions from Ventus and left him alone to share the space. Ventus' heart never left its dazed phase and the healing process had stopped. Oddly enough, Vanitas was starting to feel a bit fuzzy too. Had Roxas been leeching off of him as well, or was this just another curse of their predicament?

Sleep crept up on him again, but Vanitas refused to sink into it even if his heart, too, needed to continue mending. Ventus was vulnerable now! The opportunity was there, but his strength…

The idiot couldn't sleep forever, and he couldn't possibly keep this prison holding for all eternity. If Vanitas could wear him out, talk him down, then maybe he'd have a better chance of breaking out. That also meant he'd need to be stronger than Ventus' light.

 _A half-mended heart isn't going to do the trick,_ he thought as he closed his eyes and embraced sleep. Everything else seemed to fade from him as his heart beat increased in strength. It was all he could hear and all he could feel until his concentration wavered due to Ventus' heart having been jostled again. He let it go and continued to sleep.

A wave of sadness and sorrow washed over his other half and Vanitas could feel it as clear as day. Something bad happened—to Roxas, but Vanitas didn't care. He wanted to sleep, to heal and not be bothered by Ventus and his stupid emotional friends.

Roxas was losing himself now, losing his power to some other unknown being. Vanitas still didn't care.

Another wave of sadness came from him, something about his friends… something stupid for sure. It was beginning to irritate him and he gritted his teeth.

Happiness, then sadness again, now frustration—

"VENTUS! STOP CARING!" Vanitas screamed as he opened his eyes and threw out his arms. Darkness spilled from his being and clashed with the light. Electricity first shook his prison before jetting out to strike at him, one bolt landing directly over his heart. Vanitas curled up into a ball and screamed again; both in frustration and pure agony.

"I swear," He whispered threateningly, "I'm going to kill this Roxas thing _after_ I kill you, Ventus. The next opportunity I get—" However, before Vanitas could finish that thought, his head whipped up and his muscles stiffened. A force pulled on his heart, willing for him to return to where he belonged. It was an irrefutable instinct for the heart to know the presence of its body and return to it. Ventus' heart… it was close. It was close to his body, it was within reach!

Ventus stirred within Roxas, but he couldn't escape. Invisible bonds kept him in place and he tried to push through the darkness toward his station to no avail. Vanitas sensed his distress and quickly sent forth his own willpower to help, but Ventus instinctively refused him.

Ventus could feel his body, he could feel Sora also…

Vanitas struggled with him…

Roxas couldn't help but be affected by it all, sensing both Ventus and Sora…

And Sora was oblivious to all of it.

A dark portal opened up and Vanitas gasped and began to fight with the chains, "NO! Ventus, fight it! Get out!" He didn't care that the electricity was coursing through his muscles and burning away at his heart. Maybe if he caused enough damage Ventus would feel it! Two sides of the same coin! Light and dark, it was unbreakable chains! He couldn't possibly stay blind to him forever!

But nothing was working. Roxas had passed out relieving Ventus of his only drive. The fuzziness returned to Vanitas as if he got up too fast and now suffered lightheadedness. This weakness was unbearable, off and on as he withered away within this prison. Stuck in a limbo, stuck in the void; this was a fate worse than death!

His chance to escape, their window of opportunity to return to the world, had collapsed. And suddenly, just like Ventus, he found the darkness creeping in at the corner of his vision. Fatigue took over and the pain caused his heart to become numb.

Vanitas closed his eyes to the light of his prison and felt nothing but a bitter chill encompass his body; infinitely colder than what he felt before. As it would happen when he normally reached for the warmth of Ventus' light. Another curse of his life, thanks to Xehanort; thanks to Ventus.

It was all his fault.

* * *

For once in the long years it took for both of their hearts to heal, Vanitas woke on his own accord. The first thing he took notice to was the silence, both physical—if you could call it that—and emotional. Ventus was still asleep, and he sensed that would change soon. He felt stronger and was no longer within that Roxas guy, but back in Sora's heart.

Vanitas didn't particularly care how or why that happened, but he was a bit disappointed in the fact that Ventus was untouchable again. It didn't matter, sooner or later another opportunity would surface and he'd be ready for it. So, in the time he was left alone, he planned and waited. He created a backup plan and explored other options. He pondered on his predicament and theorized his location. He thought about Ventus, and himself. Those thoughts ventured back to Xehanort and he huffed in annoyance.

He glanced down at his chains. His strength was unmistakable now, the chains felt like yarn on him and he knew he could break them easily. But he didn't plan on escaping yet. No, not yet. He wanted Ventus to continue to think he had the upper hand.

In that thought, he observed the light surrounding him. He lifted his hand and touched the edge of his cage. As remembered, lightning started shocking him, but darkness shielded his heart and the pain was little more than a sting now. He narrowed his eyes and pushed out, his whole palm now up against an invisible force field. It prevented him from going any further and he hummed in thought. Maybe it _was_ just air, but for him—for what he was—it was a wall. Darkness couldn't get through it… but perhaps light could?

A shift in his senses stirred the darkness within him. Once again, the clouds of sleep lifted from Ventus and now his light was as bright as it's ever been. And just like Vanitas, he woke on his own.

"Sweet dreams?" Vanitas commented coolly. He knew very well Ventus couldn't actually hear the words, but his heart would be able to feel them. In this state, a lot of things were possible.

He felt Ventus go cold, most likely from shock, and carefully search for him. When he found him—his darkness—he shrunk away.

 _Vanitas…?_

"Surprised? Actually, I'm surprised you're surprised. It was _you_ who put me here."

 _How are you still alive?_

"Really?" he responded in annoyance. "I figured your Master taught you about the whole 'light and dark existing together' thing, but as light savvy as he was, I guess not." Even if Ventus couldn't feel his emotions like he could his, Vanitas was sure his words portrayed the sarcasm well. And it seemed Ventus received it one-hundred percent.

 _Where am I? What did you do?_

"You're asking me?"

 _What happened to Terra and Aqua?_

"That's a good question."

 _You're NOT… helping._

"Why would you expect me to?" Vanitas question with a snort. More silence fell between them and Vanitas narrowed his eyes.

Dare he ask, "What's wrong?"

 _I… remember…_

"Oh, another surprise. That's quite a feat for you; remember what?" Vanitas couldn't help but smile, Ventus was too easy to insult.

 _…_ _Sora._

His smile fell as soon as he felt the name. A wave of emotion hit him and, astonishingly, he couldn't read all of them. But he did roll his eyes at the one he did recognize: love, like what Ventus felt towards Terra expect stronger. Uniquely so.

He barely even knew the kid, let alone talked to him, and already he claimed him as a friend. That was one of many things he despised about his other half: he was too quick to trust.

Vanitas cleared his throat and spoke gently, "Let me out of here, Ventus. I can find you and together we can free ourselves." He only felt more silence. "Our hearts are fully healed, and you and I are both trapped. But you can change that if you let me—

 _No._

Vanitas gritted his teeth, "Your friends aren't going to be able to do anything about this, Ventus. You can't rely on them this time." He hissed.

 _I trust my friends. They'll find a way._

"And Sora? You trust him?"

 _…_ _with my life. He saved me… more than once. He invited me into his light—someone he never knew, someone he didn't remember—and offered me shelter. He was my friend before he even knew._

" _That's_ what you call friendship?" He responded irritably. "He invites you in, locks the door and throws away the key; what a pal." He could feel the sneer but continued with an ending goal.

"You're trapped there, Ventus! Sora has made his heart a prison, and _you're_ the prisoner!"

 _Not his fault._

"No? Then why are you still there? Surely, he would have felt you by now. And what about your _other_ friends? How long has it been since they've come around?

Just face it, no one wants you anymore. Aqua's been gone for a long time—she might even be dead—but I'm sure she would've been back by now if she really did care. Terra's most definitely dead. Your Master, oh sorry, Eraqus already tried to kill you and he died for it too. That little mouse friend of yours probably moved on and found other friends. Perhaps the only person who _would_ be looking for you would be Master Xehanort. He does like to keep his options open."

 _That's not true! You don't understand!_

"Oh, I think I understand perfectly well. You're nothing but a tool, Ventus; a means to an end! Your Master kept you imprisoned because of it and your _friends_ couldn't trust you to wander off by yourself! Maybe Aqua _is_ still alive and she's just taken over your Master's job of keeping you contained! Or better yet, maybe Sora **does** know of your presence and he's taking the advice in keeping you locked away forever!"

 _ENOUGH! How could you POSSIBLY understand something you could never have! My friends are alive, I can FEEL them!_

 _They'll find me; if they haven't already. I don't want to hurt Sora and I know they wouldn't want to hurt him either. If they need time, I can wait! But they'll be here for me because what you don't understand about friendship is that we're there for each other, no matter what. Together, we are strong, and together we'll defeat you_ ** _and_** _Master Xehanort! Nothing you say or do will stop me from believing that!_

Vanitas sighed and shook his head, "You're still ignorant. It seems your Master never liked to speak the whole truth. You can't destroy darkness, Ventus. That's why _I'm_ still here, that's why even if you do defeat Xehanort another one will just take his place."

He peered up at the ceiling now, his grin ever wider, "And who's to say I haven't made any future plans? Because you should know better than anyone else… that the only darkness you should truly fear…

Is your very **own**."

A moment of silence filled the space between them before Vanitas felt Ventus' heart reply.

 _You don't scare me, Vanitas._

"I have yet to give you reason to." He barked back. His body began to shake and darkness shook the chains. "Because when I get out of here—and trust me, haha, I will—I'll find that stupid corpse of yours and wrap my hands around your tiny throat so that there will be NOTHING for you to return to!"

Ventus glared at him before turning away. Vanitas just took that as a victory. His position as Ventus' prisoner was pretty much null and void at this time. All he had to do was entice Sora here and he was as good as gone. That is, these chains were as good as gone; getting out of this limbo was another issue. Perhaps Sora could offer "help" in that matter as well?

All in good time, as his Master would say. Vanitas could wait, he had all the time in the void to allow the pieces to fall into place. After all, he was confident he was the _only_ one who was going to make it out of this alive.


	3. Among the Stars

**A.N.**

 **Alrighty, this is the third installment of the series. I may do a fourth, but I'm still not certain on it. All of these are currently pre-awakening in KH3 and I will want to write more stories after we finally play that sucker we've been waiting years for. But for now, it may just reside at three. May.**

 **There was something I found that was very interesting and subtly placed within BBS, though. It may just be me overthinking things, but in the intro cutscene, when TAV's colors (orange, blue, and green) fly down and form charms on the end of Mickey's keyblade, Terra's and Aqua's only form one shape while the last one-Ventus'-forms two: the first being a four-pointed star and the second being a crescent moon. I realize this may just be a final symbol for Mickey as they're all friends, but given the fact that Vanitas and Ventus are one in the same, it's pretty interesting to think that maybe there's more there.**

 **I also found it interesting that at the end when Aqua creates the Chamber of Waking, the floor has a circle (also could be seen as a sun) and a crescent moon in the middle. Now if that's not depicting Ventus and Vanitas, I don't know what is. XD**

 **Anyway, enough of me rambling. Please enjoy the story. Share your thoughts and feelings, and comment if you'd like. :)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

* * *

Summary: Suddenly, the solid wall behind him shifted and parted, a loud, hollow creak resonating out because of it. His loss of support caused him to quickly pull out his arm to catch himself just as rays of light reached out from behind him.

The doors to the Chamber stopped just shy of halfway and Vanitas, though full of curiosity and confusion, walked inside with an air of indignity.

He knew who would be inside waiting for him.

* * *

Vanitas' head was bowed as his hands clasped the closed, double doors in front of him; standing alone in the hall of the illusionary Castle Oblivion. His eyes were thinned to threatening lengths as he seized control over his anger boiling within. His nostrils flared in response to his efforts and soon his hard breaths eased into a steadier pace.

He was so close. Sora had easily been fooled into freeing him only to get away and leave him stranded once more. If only he had been able to take back that stupid heart of his; if only _Ventus_ hadn't have gotten in the way...

He would be free from this sleep with Ventus at his mercy.

The thought alone sent both anticipation and pure rage coursing throughout his mind and body, but his unyielding control snuffed it out as the situation deemed it useless.

His shoulders slacked and his palms slid from the doors and down to his side as he took his spot standing sideways in front of it. His visor melted away to show his black hair and golden yellow eyes; his mouth a thin line.

Down the hall, the lights had begun to go out and Vanitas watched them curiously. One by one, the darkness crept toward him as if the ceiling actually held light fixtures, and when the last patch of light resided only around him, he glanced up expectantly before his environment was plunged into complete darkness.

 _If only…_ He thought defeatedly as he reached his right hand out and touched the doors, using it as a guide for him to fall back against and slide down onto his rump.

He couldn't see anything, couldn't hear anything but his own breaths. He felt the floor beneath him and the doors against his back and that was it; nothing else existed. This was indeed the darkness he knew all too well.

The bitter cold started seeping into his skin and continued to get colder the further in it went. Just as it would be when he would feel Ventus' emotions: the happy ones. It made him warm, for a time, until the connection faded away and he was left colder than ever before. It always got worse every time he would tap into said connection and it never got better. Nothing ever got better for him.

These were how things always were and from the look of it, how they will always be. He would be left alone, trapped in utter darkness, while Ventus got the cozy, ignorant life. Vanitas was the one destined to suffer while Ventus healed and he sneered at that truth, having known it since his "birth". The fact that he was trained by Xehanort just added insult to injury and until now, he hadn't really realized that. But his years with the old man had actually given him something. Despite the pain, he learned perseverance, resilience, and control and he wouldn't dare go back to change any of it.

Through the darkness, he glared at nothing and wrapped his arms around his knees. He could easily have thought of why his life was so unfair, but when was anything in life fair? He had come a long way from the hapless, crying, _weak_ child he was back then and pondering on the blissful ignorance Ventus seemed to carry in endless amounts wasn't going to do him any good. If he was like before when he was a new heart after their split, right now, he'd be crying. But the years have taught him that crying does nothing but hold you back.

The darkness was the only thing he knew, it was the only thing he _was_. He was the darkness of their heart and Ventus was the light; as his Master always said. It was only fitting that they got the total package.

Suddenly, the solid wall behind him shifted and parted, a loud, hollow creak resonating out because of it. His loss of support caused him to quickly pull out his arm to catch himself just as rays of light reached out from behind him. The darkness never gave up its empty expanse, but the floor and walls closest to the slightly ajar doors were now bathed in light, as was Vanitas.

His initial shock was quickly forgotten as he twisted around to peer through the expanding crack and into the room. The light was too bright for him to see inside, but he stood anyway to face the small opening presented to him. The doors stopped just shy of halfway and Vanitas, though full of curiosity and confusion, walked in with an air of indignity.

He held out his hand to shield his eyes as he went, stopping after clearing the doors. They closed as gently as they opened and Vanitas stole a peek behind him to watch them operate on their own. By now his vision had adjusted and he was met with what he expected.

The walls were as white as the rest of the Castle with Eraqus' precious symbol and chain checkered about. The light from said symbols pulsed down through the chains and stretched out across the floor before coming together as one underneath a center sun and crescent moon. And there resting in front of him, facing away, was a throne.

He narrowed his eyes, almost knowing, as he walked around the left side of it. There, resting peacefully—like he always knew he was—was Ventus. The throne was nearly three times the size of him making the blond boy seem even smaller with his slouched form and hands innocently placed on his lap.

 _So, this is where she left you._ He thought to himself as his eyes ventured around the room before settling back on the occupant. He was quite displeased with how content Ventus seemed with all that's happened, but that didn't matter right now and he continued to do what he promised he would.

Vanitas reached out to grab a hold of Ventus' neck, but his hand fazed right through him, Vanitas' non-corporeal form protecting the later from any physical contact. Of course it was too good to be true; Vanitas sort of saw it coming, but he groaned, nonetheless, at the missed opportunity.

"Of course." He audibly whispered, stepping away while still keeping his glare.

The room was as quiet as could be, peacefully so, but also warm and comforting. At least he assumed comforting for his other half; white wasn't particularly his favorite color and the light emanating from all around them was a bit off-putting for a person of his making. Regardless, those weren't the things that called for his immediate attention. What was really strange about the Chamber was how close he felt to Ventus, yet he was still out of reach. He was there, but then he wasn't—ghost thing notwithstanding. Unlike before where he could hear his thoughts and feel his light, now all he could _sense_ were his emotions and his light. Just as it would be if he was tapping into that connection of theirs.

Caution and confusion could be read clearly from the idiot, but the one that really stuck out the most to him was…

Sorrow.

Vanitas' eye twitched at that and he glared daggers down at the dormant—but, unfortunately, still breathing—body of his lighter half.

"If this is your way of taking _pity_ on me, DON'T. I neither want nor need it." He warned as he crossed his arms. Ventus remained sympathetic, however, but the confusion faded and he appeared to be more at ease now, which caught Vanitas off guard.

Exactly what about the circumstance would make him feel at ease, he wondered. He was here, beside him, ready to end his stupid light-filled life if and when the opportunity presented himself.

"You realize that move of yours was a big mistake." He said, his words the first ones spoken within the room in over a decade. He was met with an air of misunderstanding again, "You know what they say, Ventus, no company is better than bad company."

Ventus' body physically smiled at that. Strange, and here Vanitas thought he was completely dormant, but it appeared his conscious mind and rejuvenated heart were receptive to what was going on around him.

But he was acting different; righteously so. It infuriated him for a second before realization struck. Could he have been able to feel his emotions as well? Was that why the door had opened? Was Ventus the operator of this "dream"?

 _So, he thinks it's_ _ **not**_ _fitting for us to have the total package…_ He thought and right afterward, Ventus' whole frame started to glow. Vanitas blinked at him and took a step back just as the light was somehow transferred into him. He cringed from the forced entry and nearly lost his balance, stumbling back further as his vision blurred. The walls of the Chamber bled away to darkness as a memory they both shared sped into view.

It was their dive to the heart, right at the end of their battle where he had been defeated. As he fell, he quickly tried to reclaim the X-blade, but exhaustion took over and his desperation faded into defeat as he descended.

It was his hope, his only salvation out of the pain of his existence. He wanted to reunite with him to end his suffering. He didn't care about "saving the world", as Xehanort put it, he didn't care about the power it came with—although he did find himself getting wrapped up in it and enjoying every second—and he most certainly didn't care about helping Xehanort. His master offered him something that he couldn't refuse: salvation. And that salvation was only achievable if he and Ventus reunited; the X-blade was the only method offered to him. But Ventus had denied him that, and…

Looking up at him now, he looked different than from what he could remember. He remembered Ventus finally being at peace before his heart left. Now he was just watching him with a new-found understanding and was sorry for what happened. He was at peace for his actions but still felt sorry for him.

Pity…

Vanitas began to seethe and was on the verge of shouting at Ventus to stop before the memory faded away to reveal the walls of the Chamber once again. He opened his eyes with his anger following suit. His fingers slowly—shakenly—squeezed into fists as he lifted his eyes to peer up at Ventus.

"This _is_ your way of taking pity on me." He whispered to himself. There was always something about Ventus that made him instinctively hate and want to kill him and proximity always made it worse.

"You think pulling me from the darkness and saying you're sorry will fix everything?!" He growled at him, his body tense. "You think that's going to change what's happened?! I'm just suddenly going to turn over a new leaf because you've finally opened your eyes to what you've been blind to your whole life?!"

He couldn't get a read from him.

"You still haven't learned anything, Ventus! Because if there is one thing I hate more than you and pity, it's _you_ showing me pity!" As he spat this, his keyblade was summoned into his hand.

Now he was met with confusion and concern from his counterpart and it only fueled his ever-growing anger.

"You're confused? You're confu—you want to know why I'm so angry, _Ventus_?" He seethed through clenched teeth, his name alone adding more to the fire. A dark aurora began to emanate off of him as he took slow easy steps towards the sleeping form.

"I'm angry because I'm stuck in this oblivion—" He vocalized his words clearly, venom dripping off of each and every one of them. His grip on his keyblade increased, "—I'm angry because Sora, of all people, is my one and only chance of getting out of here—" he hissed as he approached his sleeping half. His face was now right in front of Ven's. "I'm angry AT YOU because **everything** that's happened, to both you and me, is YOUR FAULT!" He yelled with a pointed finger.

All he got in return was sympathy and that straw was what broke the camel's back.

"I HATE THAT EMOTION!" Vanitas screamed and swung his keyblade around, its head fazing through Ventus' torso and hitting the armrest of his throne, a metallic _clink_ sounding off of it. The fact that he couldn't hit him only made him angrier and he swiped at Ventus again.

His aim had his keyblade slicing through his head, through his neck, across his chest… anywhere it would yield the most damage and pain. And with each attack came that clanking sound of his keyblade only smacking off of the chair.

Darkness now poured out of him at the mockery of his wasted efforts. His last swing was instantly halted above his shoulders as Vanitas clenched his eyes shut. His white-knuckle grip on his keyblade made his hands and arms shake as he took deep, steady breaths to try and calm himself down. But with Ventus still resting there, unharmed, unfazed, unaffected, his attempts became useless. His anger had been building up within him for too long and with one final roar he slammed his keyblade down upon the seat of Ventus' throne and a loud break echoed throughout the Chamber.

The stem of his keyblade cracked and broke in two, the head flying off to the side of them while Vanitas still clenched the hilt. His breaths were hollow now as a sharp pain struck his heart that caused him to stagger back and fall onto his knees. He knelt there hunched over with one hand clutching his chest as the other let go of his keyblade. It too crashed onto the floor, the sound also echoing throughout the room before slowly, ever so slowly, fading away. And then it and its broken piece vanished within a blue and purple light.

 _How…?_

A sudden gasp escaped his lips, two more after that and continuing, as he tightened his grip against the pain. His breaths came in spasms as he worked to regain his composure. Little progress seemed to have been made as time passed on. The darkness was overwhelming and all consuming. The Chamber began to enclose in around him, suffocating him. The white walls turned black and soon he couldn't see anything again.

 _Why?_ His thoughts whispered. The pain wouldn't let up and soon a cold, numbing sensation stretched out from the pain in his chest. It encompassed his body and snaked down his limbs; his head began to feel fuzzy.

 _This is it... this is the end for me…_

His body grew heavy and so did his eyes. He heard sleep call to him, and he knew he wouldn't be able to wake from it. He felt…

Scared…

Terrified…

Paralyzed…

Cold…

Soon he felt nothing… and then…

All of the sudden the nothingness vanished and the connection between he and Ventus was re-established, but it wasn't made by him.

Ventus' light poured out from the emptiness and enveloped him, driving back the darkness and dousing the fire. The cold painful grip on his heart instantly fled and sleep ran from him leaving in its wake a warm sense of tranquility. Life returned to his body and his hand fell from his chest, his muscles relaxing from their strain. His breaths evened out and his figure visibly slouched a whole inch.

The walls of the Chamber of Waking returned and the floor became white again. He still remained on his knees, though, as the light— _his_ light—continued to wash over him.

This was what he always felt when he connected to Ventus, or when his emotions bled through to him. Warmth, happiness, laughter, peace; it was the only time he ever could feel such things and…

Soon it would be gone, the darkness returning to reclaim him and make him colder than before like it always did.

But it didn't. The light was still there, still driving his death away. Because if Ventus was alive, then so it would be for Vanitas.

He lifted his head to peer up at him; still asleep in his chair, still as stagnant as ever.

The floor beneath them began to glow and bubbles of light rushed from the ends of the room to the middle, coming together. A bright flash emitted forth and Vanitas' keyblade rematerialized before him, whole. He looked utterly surprised, his mouth opening as if to say something, but ultimately only closing without words spoken.

He looked up at Ventus, his light _still_ there, the connection still holding and not letting go. And even though he kind of felt happy right now, he remained solemn and prideful. Showing Ventus gratitude—even though somewhere inside of him he felt it—didn't sit well with him. It wasn't who he was.

Vanitas sighed before standing and unsummoned his keyblade. He remained there, staring at the ground as he sorted through his emotions.

Finally, he walked over to Ven.

He lifted himself up onto the left armrest of Ven's throne, his right foot planted on it as his left leg dangled off the side. He draped his arm over his knee and stared ahead, away from Ventus. He remained quiet for some time before finally speaking.

"I don't care to know why you did what you did," He said without glancing over at Ven, "So, don't expect an apology from me… or a thank you." Even though nothing was said, Vanitas could feel he agreed to this understanding.

He allowed more time to pass before speaking again, this time changing the subject.

A deep sigh left his lungs, "So, how long will that idiot friend of yours take? Is he even competent enough to figure out how to save us?" He asked while stealing a peek down at Ven; he only smiled back. "Hmph, I rather not rely on him, or you, but I guess my hands are tied."

A small chuckle broke his frown, "Come to think of it, your _friends_ would probably bound me up and throw me in a prison before bothering to help. Well… that is to say, if they could defeat me first." He continued to smile as he thought about everything and pondered on what might happen in the near future.

"I guess it's not bad, all things considered. If it comes down to it, I could just use you to force them to let me go. And it'd work out for you because you'd still be helping me." He laughed at that. He felt Ventus get irritated and it only made his smile grow.

"Either way," he concluded, "as soon as they free you, Ventus," He glanced down at him before returning his gaze skyward. "They'll free me too."

"It's only a matter of time."


End file.
